Prospective homebuyers in the North-East are seeing bigger differences in the cost of local searches, according to research carried out by law firm Gordon Brown Associates.

The Chester-le-Street firm has discovered that the fees, which are levied by borough and district councils, vary by more than 75pc depending on which part of the North-East you want to buy a house in, despite paying for exactly the same procedure to be carried out.

Of the 22 local authorities involved, all but six have increased their local search charges in 2003, most notably Castle Morpeth Borough Council, which has increased its fee from &#xA3;131, the region's highest in 2002, to &#xA3;167.

In 2002, Gordon Brown Associates found variations in fees of as much as 54pc, and this year's range, from &#xA3;95 to &#xA3;167, demonstrates a wider gap between the councils.

A local search is an important factor in every house purchase and all mortgage lenders specify that it is essential for one to be completed before contracts are exchanged. The search checks for a range of issues that could affect the property, such as whether there have been any unauthorised alterations to the house or if any road widening schemes are planned that may affect it.

All councils have to follow the same procedures to complete the form, yet the amount they charge varies by as much as &#xA3;72. The councils have full authority to set their charges and no recommended limit has been set.

Gordon Brown, senior partner at Gordon Brown Associates, said: "When we conducted the same research in 2002, we felt the difference in search fees, which has been an unexplained trend for a number of years, was shockingly diverse.

"So we are even more astounded that this gap has risen to more than 75pc in 2003 and there seems to be no justification for having the same process cost &#xA3;95 in Middlesbrough or Stockton and &#xA3;167 in Castle Morpeth.

"It is about time these differences were justified to house buyers. The cost of a local search as a percentage of the legal fees involved in buying a house continues to grow in what appears to be a random manner."